News

Protecting your feet and back

I have a flat foot - but why is this important? This is a common condition for many New Zealanders, with a simple solution (one that has a direct link to the workplace). Why bring this topic up? I was talking to my granddaughter, who along with her partner, is a sharemilker. She...

Standards, Guarding, Training, and Employees’ Actions

The below headline caught my attention recently, and after reading the court notes, I can’t understand why this can still happen in this day and age (29 years since health and safety laws were introduced into New Zealand), or are there other factors involved that have not been made known? Don’t...

Engaging new employees

For many small businesses, now is an uncertain time.  However, with the government's strategies for job creation, for many businesses, this is a positive time and will give them opportunity to help people gain employment, and develop new skills. Earlier this week, we attended a Govt work/job creation and information meeting...

What is zoonosis?

Zoonosis is a disease which can be transmitted to humans from animals. Any case of zoonosis that is attributed to a workplace is deemed to be a serious infection, and thus is a notifiable event that must be notified to WorkSafe. Serious infections are defined as: Any serious infection (including occupational (zoonosis)...

Actual and potential hazards

An issue with the process of hazard and risk management is that it is a bit like crystal ball gazing - identifying what is real (actual) and what is possible (potential).  This can be a challenge. The article below highlights an interesting conundrum of being able to foresee an event, and...

The importance of pre-work risk assessments

The importance of the pre-work involvement of employees when it comes to the planning and communication of a task, is certainly emphasized by the recent prosecution of an Auckland scaffolding company when an employee received an electrocution from overhead 33kv powerlines. Read article here...

Standard Operating Procedures vs Policies

What is the difference between policies, processes, procedures, task instructions, and safe operating procedures? The New Zealand health and safety industry are full of acronyms, and this too often becomes confusing to business owners and employees, especially when one considers the influx of workers from offshore.  Another factor is that it...